Tomone Kaoru

"Come on, everyone throw red roses on my way ! Who should you cheer ? (Public : Tomomo !) Yes ! Now, make room for the Great Empress of Roses, Tomone Kaoru !"

- Kaoru's Stage Introduction Catchphrase 

Kaoru Tomone (寝薫 Tomone Kaoru) is a member of the 154th generation of AKB0048 trainees and a member of Team K.

 She is known as the Queen of Misfortune by the general public because of her permanent misfortune. Kaoru is also known by the nickname Tomomo (ともも).

Her main goal is to keep the promise she made to her dying childhood friend : Yahiru, by becoming a Sucessor to offer hope to people. Howerer, shortly after becoming a Kenkyuusei, she discovered that her friend has not died but is apparently amnesic. Yahiru actually became Yuihan.

Kaoru also begins a soloist career and strives to become a talented actress.



Appearance
Kaoru has a fair complexion, and is average in size. Like almost all members of the group, she has a heart in her hair as well as in the eyes. Her eyes have for color a strange amber color pale and orange. Her medium length hair is ashy blond, and held in a messy bun by chopsticks. There is one rebellious strand of hair that is white-coloured. Her hair is rather straight, although it can be a bit curly when she wakes up in the morning. Kaoru also has a slight scar on her chin that she has made under rather mysterious circumstances.

To try to remedy her constant misfortune, her best friend gave her a lucky charm that is supposed to bring her a minimum of luck. Kaoru always wears this amulet.

Usually, her torso is bulging and a large proud smile stretches her mouth.

Her sense of fashion is not particularly eccentric but trendy; her casual clothes often include modish shirts, skirts, high waist shorts, wedge sandals and little berets. There is also systematically crimson color somewhere on the clothes she wears. Kaoru can wears some jewelry, too. She always manages to wear brand clothes or clothes that she has sewn herself.

Personality
In a word, unlucky. So much so that when she is with other people, she "absorbs" all their misfortune. Bad luck literally sticks to her skin. Bad luck gave her an edge, she never trusted luck. For this reason, she can be very nervous but adaptable. She always had the nickname "Queen of Misfortune" and accepted it with dignity.

Kaoru denies any figure of authority, whether it is a Senpai, Captain or Manager, which doesn't prevent her from speaking politely to them, but a feeling of arrogance being felt in her words. She has a true "Leader" temperament and tends to wanting "supervise" others, with or without their agreement.

She is not afraid to say exactly what she thinks, no matter how crude she looks. She doesn't trust people easily and hates being pitied.

Sociability is not really part of the priorities of Kaoru, which is totally focused on her objective. Kaoru is overconfident, bold, proud, competitive, ambitious, persistent and straightfoward, she knows exactly what she wants. Her haughtiness is extremely difficult to mitigate. Any other person seeking to become Yuko automatically becomes a rival. Her determination is so powerful that it can even be perceived as stubbornness or insolence. Moreover, she will always defend her point of view fiercely. Kaoru truly thinks that everyone should be honored to be in her presence. She even happens to be slightly manipulative.

However, Kaoru is able to be surprisingly understanding and considerate towards those she cares about but she chose to hide this part of her. This arrogant behavior stems mainly from her being deprived of « freedom » until recently. She simply doesn't know how to properly interact with others. This girl doesn't know the social norms. It is without a doubt thanks to the AKB0048 that Kaoru has acquired the confidence she has today. She has a certain sense of honor, too. Kaoru always makes sure to repay her debts... At least, in her way. Kaoru has never been good at dealing with emotional stuffs. She is not good at expressing affection.

Other than her self-importance and her delusion of grandeur, one of Kaoru's notable traits is that she seems to have a complete disinterest in romance and appears to have (most of the time) rather low esteem for men in general, thinking they are only obstacles to her objectives.

She can be lazy, but this laziness disappears instantaneously when it comes to succession. In addition, she is confident of being able to do everything on her own and refuses to admit when she needs help. She has the strong conviction she is undeniably perfect at all levels. Her arrogance makes her distant. She may occasionally have a "Tsundere-like" attitude as well.

She has trouble understanding the jokes, but she is capable of being a follower of sarcasm.

Ironically, towards the fans, she shows a great kindness and a bubbly attitude.

Pre-00
Kaoru was born and raised in Winostar. She lived a rather comfortable life on the material plan with her father, an active economist and her mother, a famous stylist known throughout the galaxy if we except her supernatural bad luck. She has always had bad luck and for example, when she tried to stroke a stray cat, this one scratched her violently.

She has always been a good student but didn't see the value of having good grades if she didn't know what she wanted to do as a job later. She felt misunderstood by her parents who spent very little time with her.

Yet, her life was a completely different history on the emotional plan.

Winostar is a planet where robots and computers decide everything. Everybody is treated equally. Whether it's a matter of a right job, a appropriate meal, the right kind of study for everyone... Due to this, Kaoru felt apathetic, empty of all wills, without any free will. Kaoru felt as if she were suffocated, to being a chained bird. She didn't feel like she lived her life and was fed up of everything.

Kaoru didn't hate Entertainment, she just had never been interested in it. In fact, she didn't care about it. That's why her little world totally changed when one day she made her first friend she met at school, who introduced her to the group AKB0048 (Entertainment was previously tolerated in Winostar, small concerts were even organized). For the first time, Kaoru had the impression to breathe, to live her life, she felt her heart beat with passion. She had finally found a meaning to her existence. They got very close after this event.

When the two friends learned that the auditions were open, they jumped at the opportunity. Kaoru wanted to succeed Yuko and Yahiru wanted to succeed Yuihan. Nonetheless, at the time, Kaoru was below the minimum age (she was only 11 years old) and Yahiru wanted them to fulfill their dream together so she intended to wait until Kaoru is 12 years old.

However, the government of Winostar, seeing that more and more young girls were turning away from robotic advice and preferring to follow their passion, began to repress the entertainment severely. On the pretext that the government computer told them that entertainment was harmful to the good development of people. The government did not want people to realize that they were manipulated and began a rebellion.

During a clandestine concert, her friend was tragically killed by the DES by trying to protect Kaoru. Before her death, Kaoru promised to realize their dream by overcoming the obstacles that would prevent her from accomplishing her goal by becoming successor in order to illuminate the lives of others, as the 00 did with them. Thanks to this, her friend died serenely and Kaoru ran away with tears in her eyes.

Kaoru was still 11 years old, so she had to wait 1 year, and it was during those two years of frustration that her personality changed drastically to become today's.

At age 12 and 13, Kaoru evidently tried to register for the 152nd and 153rd generation auditions, but Winostar's authorities censored all the information about it.

One year later, despite Winostar's censorship efforts, information for the 154th generation auditions reached some of Winostar's population, as well as Kaoru who wanted to take this opportunity.

Of course, her parents; especially her father- categorically refused that their daughter would participate in the auditions, but Kaoru disobey them and decided to run away, more determined than ever to do everything to make the wish of her friend and she become reality.

Team History
154th Generation → 154th Generation & Team K


 * Joined the 154th Generation of Trainees (SC0125, July 25th)
 * Promoted to Team K (SC0126, January 25th)

Skills
Tomomo is obviously the type to boast of her skills.

Tomomo is comfortable singing and dancing, although she has a clear preference for singing. More precisely, her greatest asset is she has excellent voice control and can switch from a weak tone to a powerful one easily. Her voice is great enough for her to start a solo career shortly after entering 00. She has some facilities to learn and memorize a song and choreography in a decent way. Plus, Kaoru knows a few Flamenco movements.

She is athletic and in excellent physical condition. She is far from harmless and experiences a series of self-defense movements that she combines with the use of Micsaber. Indeed, she has practiced fencing for five years and is very skilled at swordsmanship. According to her, she won the Junior Fencing Tournament five consecutive times. Recently, she began to want to learn how to use two Micsaber at the same time.

Tomomo is not particularly good at sniping. She has some good reflexes but that's it.

She is quite competent at the LAS. She integrated the bases naturally. Unfortunately, her deep disgust for the robots prevents her from using this gift to its full potential.

She is a very bad liar. What makes her a horrible actress, she is incapable of acting like another person and sooner or later, her true personality will reveal itself. Kaoru tries to make efforts to improve, and has more ease to acting in horror Drama or a character with a personality similar to her own. Thanks to some persistence, Kaoru has grown to appreciate acting, albeit it still happens her to forget she is acting, which can be quite problematic during the shoot.

She is a pseudo-harpist who can occasionally begin to play harp to relax. Strange fact : She doesn't like when you look at her when she does (except Yahiru) and prefers to be alone.

Tomomo is a talented seamstress and fashion designer, for it is one of the only things she learned from her mother by watching her working. Because of this, she has a good sense of fashion.

Achievements

 * -|Senbatsu Sousenkyo=


 * -|Jyanken Taikai=
 * Jyanken Taikai SC0126 - 3rd Place (Lost to Miyabi Honoka)
 * -|AKBingo!


 * -|Lucky Ranking=

Songs
{|
 * -|A-Sides=
 * Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru - Quad Center
 * Kaetai Mirai
 * Sekirarun no Geijutsu
 * -|B-Sides=
 * valign="top" |
 * Genzai wa Fantasy janai (Kinou no Teki wa Mirai no Nakama)
 * coup d'état (Kinou no Teki wa Mirai no Nakama)
 * Melting (Kinou no Teki wa Mirai no Nakama)
 * Arrival (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru) - Center
 * Hikari no Umi (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * Juliet ni Naritakunai (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * valign="top" |
 * Natsu Seifuku Confession (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * Tomaranai Waterfall (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * Ima wa Shinjiru (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * Kataomoi Line (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * C'est la vie - Hakuna Matata (Masshiro na Mirai wo Irodzukeru)
 * Oto ga Umareru (Kaetai Mirai)
 * valign="top" |
 * Yume wa Toshokan de Hibiku (Kaetai Mirai)
 * Fuson wa Nandakke? (Kaetai Mirai) - WCenter
 * Matchmaker (Kaetai Mirai)
 * Red Herring (Kaetai Mirai)
 * Hiretsuna  (Kaetai Mirai)
 * Fancy    (Kaetai Mirai)
 * Hitotsu Hitotsu Negai (Kaetai Mirai)
 * Smile Charm (Kaetai Mirai)
 * valign="top" |
 * Monochrone world (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)
 * Koishicharu Dilemma (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)
 * Promise (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)
 * Oikakete Madros (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)
 * Ima Koko de Iru (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)
 * MECHANICAL HEART (Sekirarun no Geijutsu) - Center
 * Don't Cry - Center (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)
 * Fate (Sekirarun no Geijutsu)

Solo Singles

 * -|A-sides=
 * 「LET IT BURN」
 * -|B-sides=
 * Believe
 * Poker Face ft. Nishimura Karin
 * Bravely
 * SAVAGE Chikai
 * Beginner


 * -|Stages=


 * K2 (Wakaku Shindara) - 1st Step (Center)
 * K2 (Wakaku Shindara) - Liar (WCenter)


 * -|Other Songs=


 * L'Aube de ma Renaissance ( Character Song )
 * Rêverie  (Kakkoi & Kawaii)

Career

 * -|Acting=
 * Prototype - Kaneki Ciel ( Lead )
 * Koi no Kensaku - Tano Ito

Etymology
Kaoru (薫):

This first name has no special meaning. Although mixed, Kaoru absolutely hates being called by her first name because he is too "masculine" for her and will ignore or scold anyone calling her by her first name.

Because of her first name, she is often confused with a boy. She greatly prefers to be called by her surname or her nickname.

Tomone (共寝):

Like with her first name, her surname has no precise meaning. It can however be translated as sleeping together, and the reason for such a name is unknown.

Due to the fact that Kaoru absolutely hates being called by her first name because she despises it and that calling by her last name sounded too "formal", Yahiru was the first one to propose nicknaming her Tomomo (ともも), which she sometimes shortened to Tomo (とお).

Loudy is the nickname that Ryuu gave her, a direct reference to her loud and boast personality. Kaoru secretly likes it.

Kacchan (かちゃん) is a nickname created by Honoka, the 00s' official Nicknamer, that Kaoru has had a hard time accepting, however she tolerated it if it is accompanied by her first nickname. After Honoka defeated her at the Jyanken, Kaoru finally accepted the nickname.

Quotes

 * "Come on, everyone throw red roses on my way ! Who should you cheer ? (Public : Tomomo !) Yes ! Now, make room for the Great Empress of Roses, Tomone Kaoru ! " - Kaoru's Stage Introduction Catchphrase.
 * "I don't just want to succeed Yuko Oshima. I will succeed Yuko Oshima. That's the difference between me and all those who want to do the same. I am Tomone Kaoru, understudy of AKB0048's 154th generation and next Yuko ! " - Kaoru's Catchphrase.
 * "For me, every idol has an aura of her own, and an understudy will succeed the successor which has an aura compatible with her own. " - Kaoru explaining her theory about the Succession phenomenon at Mirai's Succession concert.

Trivia

 * Favourite New Era Song : Arrival
 * Audition Song : Theater no Megami
 * Favourite Colours : Crimson and Golden
 * Penlight Colour : Crimson
 * Favourite Word : Victory (勝利)
 * Favourite Food : Coffee Éclair, Tomatoes
 * Favourite Animals : Frog, Lion
 * Favourite Flower : Red roses
 * Favourite Seasons : Summer, Spring
 * Mottos: "From where I’m sitting, I am the centre of the Universe." "I don't care what you think unless it is about me."
 * Charm Point : Her haughty smile
 * Blood Type : AB
 * Special Skill : Boasting
 * Hobbies : Singing, practicing fencing and self-defense, drawing fashion sketches, graphic design and sewing clothes, debating, playing the harp
 * She knows how to play the harp, even if it is just a hobby for her.
 * Kaoru has her own Kirara. It is key-shaped and pastel silver-coloured. Ironically, the key is supposed to be a lucky object while Kaoru is very unlucky.
 * She has a second ace-shaped Kirara, burning orange coloured with four eyes.
 * She commonly refers herself as "Kono Watashi" (この 私).
 * Kaoru speaks fluently the three official languages of Winostar : Japanese, French and English.
 * She has a habit of saying words in French when she is in an intense mood.
 * She tends to uses nicknames only when she is annoyed by someone or when she "appreciates" someone.
 * She is a bit narcissistic and has proved potentially affected with Borderline Personality Disorder, describing a simple rustle of wind as a "flop of applause." And Yahiru's death only aggravated her mental health because she thinks she's become alone again and feels guilty.


 * Kaoru suffers from Ailurophobia, she considers cats as evil creatures. This is actually because she had a very bad unlucky experience with one of the them who left her that scar as a souvenir.
 *  Kaoru hates robots. This is related to her past.
 * Although she is not fond of the Internet, Kaoru has newly decided to become more active on her social media because it is a way to be closer to her fans.
 * When Kaoru will be older, in order to "rescue" Winostar she intends to become a Revolutionary Leader.
 * She shares her voice actress with Saber Red alias Nero, a Servant of the Fate franchise who has many similarities with Kaoru :
 * They are both arrogant but really kind-hearted and wish happiness to their loved ones.
 * They are both very gifted swordswomen.
 * They love the crimson color.
 * They love red roses that symbolize their passion.
 * They adore an "art" which requires to stage, the theater for one of them, the concerts for the other.
 * And finally, they have for a hairstyle a bun.